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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1918, 25 February 1875, Page 2

It has become fashionable of late with certain journals to write down the Press Agency. Knocker was the text with many of this type, and Knocker was bandied about from column to column —from pillar to post, we had almost said —as the perpetrator of all that was inane and uninteresting. Recently, however, the telegrams supplied to the 'New Zealand press have been trasmitted with the signature of " Press Agency," thereby dispensing with real names, and poor Knocker is let alone. It will be acknowledged by everyone ' that the Press Agency is not a perfect organization, nor will it become such until a better understanding has been arrived, at between the press and the executive authority to whom is entrusted the collection and distribution of colonial news. Legitimate cause of complaint we can understand, having experienced the annoyance of being called upon to pay for telegrafiKi-whioh arrived too late for use, or which have proved totally unsuitable to requirements. The Lyttelton Times has recently given birth to an article which was evidently intended to be " funny; " but the humor

is_Qfjmcha grim character, and perpetrated at sucir-an-expeasejof truth, or display of ignorance, that we feel~bouncL to notice it. The subject of the Canterbury Thunderer's ponderous wit was Ohinemuri and the telegrams transmitted by the Press Agency regarding this interesting district. The Times; however, was peculiarly unhappy in its first and most prominent reference to the subject. It gave an account of Sir Donald McLean's visit to the Maori King, Tawhiao, at Waitomo, as apart and parcel of the Press Agency's telegrams regarding Ohineinuri. Now, it happens that the lengthy telegram herein referred to was sent from Alexandra—not by a Press Agent, but by

a person who was no doubt instructed by Sir Donald McLean, and the telegram was sent free to all papers. Sir Donald McLean had achieved what lie no doubt considered a moral victory over the Kingites. He had visited Waikato at the express invitation of the Sling. He had conversed with him, and received further overtures from Tawhiao <;o come again. This was considered a great feat, and like other events of a similar character it was made public property by means of the Government telegraph lines, but at no expense to the recipients; We are of course unable to say whether the writer in the Lyttelton Times.penned his article in ignorance of the real facts of the case, or whether he sacrificed truth for the sake of effect. At all events he ought to have known that the occurrence of events in Waikato was without the province of the Press Agent for Ohinemuri. It is true that those who had been waiting at Ohinemuri for the advent of Sir Donald McLean to complete negociations were rather disappointed that; Sir Donald? thought it necessary to visit Tawhiao before renewing his acquaintance with Te Hira. Beyond this there was no connection between the visit of the Native Minister to Waikato and the progress of events at Ohinemuri as recorded by the Press Agency It seems a pity that journals having pretensions to standing should have so. little regard for truth as to wilfully mislead, especially in the matter of telegraphic news. If the Press Agency is not all that could be desired, its present working is infinitely above any organization of the kind previously established., and a great deal rests with the press of the colony in making it more efficient, but this will not be achieved by attempts at ridicule such as that which the Lyttelton Times gave birth to, which can only be excused on the ground that a subject for leading mattter was difficult to find, and the Press Agency offered a safe butt since the retirement of Knocker.